Matt Whitaker Ransom

Matt Whitaker Ransom

Born	(1826-10-08)October 8, 1826 Warren County, North Carolina
Died	October 8, 1904(1904-10-08) (aged 78) Garysburg, North Carolina
Place of burial	near Weldon, North Carolina
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861 – 1865
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment
Commands held	35th North Carolina Infantry Ransom's Brigade
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Other work	U.S. Senator; North Carolina Attorney General

Matt Whitaker Ransom (October 8, 1826 – October 8, 1904) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1872 and 1895.

Early life and antebellum career

Matt Ransom was born in Warren County, North Carolina to Robert and Priscilla Whitaker Ransom. He was the elder brother of General Robert Ransom and a cousin to fellow Confederate officer Wharton J. Green, who served as a U. S. Congressman after the Civil War. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1847, where he was a member of the Philanthropic Society. After serving as North Carolina Attorney General and as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, he was chosen as one of the three commissioners from North Carolina to the Confederate government at Montgomery, Alabama in 1861.

Civil War

Ransom was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment and later Colonel of the 35th North Carolina Infantry. This regiment was part of his brother Robert's brigade, which Matt later commanded. Ransom was promoted to Brigadier General June 13, 1863. Ransom saw action in the battles of Seven Pines, the Seven Days Battles, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Plymouth, Weldon, Suffolk and the siege of Petersburg. He was wounded three times during the Civil War and finally surrendered at Appomattox.

Political career

Matt Whitaker Ransom Marble Bust

After the war, Ransom moved to Weldon, North Carolina, in 1866 where he was a planter and lawyer. In 1872, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1871. Ransom was re-elected in 1876, 1883, and 1889 and served from January 30, 1872, to March 4, 1895. Ransom served briefly as President Pro tempore of the Senate during the 53rd Congress. He was later appointed United States Minister to Mexico and served from 1895-1897.

Retirement and death

Following his term as ambassador, Ransom retired to his estate, "Verona" and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died near Garysburg, North Carolina, on his 78th birthday, October 8, 1904. Ransom was buried on his estate, near Jackson, North Carolina. Verona was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[1]

Notes

↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.

References

Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.

External links

United States Congress. "Matt Whitaker Ransom (id: R000062)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-04-22
"Matt Whitaker Ransom". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-13.

Legal offices
Preceded by William Eaton, Jr.	Attorney General of North Carolina 1853–1855	Succeeded by Joseph B. Batchelor
United States Senate
Preceded by Joseph C. Abbott	U.S. Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1872–1895 Served alongside: John Pool, Augustus S. Merrimon, Zebulon B. Vance, Thomas J. Jarvis, Jeter C. Pritchard	Succeeded by Marion Butler
Honorary titles
Preceded by Isham G. Harris	President pro tempore of the United States Senate January 7, 1895 – January 10, 1895	Succeeded by Isham G. Harris
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Isaac P. Gray	United States Ambassador to Mexico 1895–1897	Succeeded by Powell Clayton

United States Senators from North Carolina

Class 2	Johnston Martin Franklin Turner Stokes Branch Brown Mangum Reid Bragg Abbott Ransom Butler Simmons Bailey Umstead Broughton F. Graham Smith Lennon Scott Jordan Helms Dole Hagan Tillis

Class 3	Hawkins Bloodworth Stone Franklin Stone Locke Macon Iredell Mangum Strange W. Graham Haywood Badger Biggs Clingman Pool Merrimon Vance Jarvis Pritchard Overman Morrison Reynolds Hoey Ervin Morgan East Broyhill Sanford Faircloth Edwards Burr

Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Commerce and Manufactures (1816–1825)	Hunter Sanford Dickerson

Commerce (1825–1947)	Lloyd Johnston Woodbury Forsyth King Silsbee Goldsborough Davis King Huntington Haywood Dix Hamlin Dodge Clay Chandler Conkling Gordon Ransom McMillan Frye Ransom Frye Nelson Clarke Fletcher Jones H. Johnson Stephens Copeland Bailey

Interstate Commerce (1887–1947)	Cullom Butler Cullom Elkins Clapp Newlands Smith Cummins Smith Watson Couzens Dill Wheeler

Interstate and Foreign Commerce/Commerce (1947–1977)	White E. Johnson Tobey Bricker Magnuson

Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–)	Magnuson Cannon Packwood Danforth Hollings Pressler McCain Hollings McCain Hollings McCain Stevens Inouye Rockefeller Thune

Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate

Langdon Lee Langdon Izard H Tazewell Livermore Bingham Bradford Read Sedgwick Laurance Ross Livermore Tracy Howard Hillhouse Baldwin Bradley Brown Franklin Anderson Smith Bradley Milledge Gregg Gaillard Pope Crawford Varnum Gaillard Barbour Gaillard Macon Smith L Tazewell White Poindexter Tyler W R King Southard Mangum Sevier Atchison W R King Atchison Cass Bright Stuart Bright Mason Rusk Fitzpatrick Bright Fitzpatrick Foot Clark Foster Wade Anthony Carpenter Anthony Ferry Thurman Bayard Davis Edmunds Sherman Ingalls Manderson Harris Ransom Harris Frye Office rotated 1911–1913 Bacon Curtis Gallinger Brandegee Lodge Clarke Saulsbury Cummins Moses Pittman W H King Harrison Glass McKellar Vandenberg McKellar Bridges George Hayden Russell Ellender Eastland Magnuson Young Magnuson Thurmond Stennis Byrd Thurmond Byrd Thurmond Byrd Stevens Byrd Inouye Leahy Hatch

United States Ambassadors to Mexico

Minister	Shaler John H. Robinson Wilkinson Poinsett Butler Slacum Ellis Greenhow Ellis Lawrence Thompson Beach Thompson Shannon Slidell Conner Clifford Letcher Greenhow Goss Slacum Smith Conkling Cooper Ward Gadsden Spofford Forsyth Churchwell Mordecai Green Porter McLane de la Reintrie Weller Corwin Shufelt Campbell Otterbourg Rosecrans Nelson Foster Morgan Jackson Manning Bragg Ryan Gray Ransom Clayton

Ambassador	Clayton Conger Thompson Wilson Fletcher Warren Sheffield Morrow Clark Daniels Messersmith Thurston O'Dwyer White Hill Mann Freeman McBride Jova Lucey Nava Gavin Pilliod Negroponte Jones Davidow Garza Pascual Wayne Jacobson

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 37728952 LCCN: n85216769 GND: 119540533 US Congress: R000062

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